THE DECREE OF CYRUS

22 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia,e in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken throughB Jeremiah,f the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrusg of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:

23 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord his God be with him.